The
human body — as well as all plants and animals — requires calcium to function. It
plays a role in transferring nerve impulses, regulating blood pressure, causing
the heart to contract, and clotting blood.

It’s
a major part of tooth and bone health too. You can think of your bones as your
body’s calcium reservoir. If you don’t get calcium in your diet, your body will
take it from your bones.

You
have to rely on your diet or on supplements to get the calcium you need every
day. Foods that are high in calcium include:

How
do you know if you’re getting enough calcium? The National Institutes
of Health (NIH) recommends that adults get
1,000 mg every day. They also say that women over 50 should get 1,200 mg daily.

To
give you an idea of how that number translates into your diet, one glass of 1
percent milk contains 305 mg of calcium. Check the United States Department of Agriculture’s helpful guide
to see how much calcium is in your food.

4. If you don’t get enough
calcium, you could wind up with osteoporosis or other ailments.

Not
giving your body the calcium it needs increases the likelihood of having low
bone mass. This can result in osteoporosis, or frail and porous bones that
easily fracture.

Osteoporosis
is especially common in older women, which is why the NIH recommends they consume
more calcium than their male counterparts. Children who don’t get enough
calcium may not grow to their full adult height potential.

5. There are two
recommended types of calcium supplements.

A
calcium supplement is one option if you don’t get enough calcium-rich foods. Calcium
carbonate and calcium citrate
are the two most recommended forms of calcium supplements.

Calcium
carbonate is cheaper and more common. It can be found in most antacid drugs. It
needs to be taken with food in order for it to work well. Calcium citrate doesn’t
need to be taken with food and may be better absorbed by older people with
lower levels of stomach acid.

Did You Know?

The NIH recommends that women over 50 get more calcium than other people, as they’re at higher risk for osteoporosis.

Take
note that calcium supplements do have side effects. You may have constipation,
gas, and bloating. The supplements may also interfere with your body’s ability
to absorb other nutrients or medications. Check with your doctor before
starting any supplements.

Another
common form of calcium is calcium gluconate. While this type of calcium supplement is not as common, it’s
still used for those with a calcium deficiency. Like calcium carbonate, it must
be taken with food. Calcium gluconate is used to help lower blood potassium
levels in acute cases of high blood potassium levels, or hyperkalemia.

7. It may be a cure to — or
a cause of — cancer.

Researchers
are still investigating whether calcium promotes or prevents cancer. A recent study found that calcium could cause cancer cell growth in
certain types of cancer, like prostate cancer. It also decreased the likelihood
of other types, like breast cancer.

8. Vitamin D is calcium’s
partner in crime.

One
last important fact to know about calcium is that your body needs vitamin D in
order to absorb it. So you can eat as many calcium-rich foods as you want, but
your body can’t fully benefit if you have low vitamin D levels.

You can get
vitamin D from foods like salmon and eggs yolks.
Sunshine allows the skin to produce Vitamin D and is definitely a great source
of vitamin D, too.

The Takeaway

Calcium is an essential nutrient that is required for maintaining health. Like with any
mineral or nutrient, you should carefully monitor your calcium intake so that
you aren’t getting too much or too little.

Learn seven common myths about osteoporosis and bone health, dispelled by bone health expert Dr. Deborah Sellmeyer. Osteoporosis is preventable - men and women of all ages should be concerned about bone health and take steps to help prevent osteop...

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